Naga City, Camarines Sur
October 26, 2024

“Dito, hindi nawawala ang tubig. But that’s the proverbial problem of the Bicol River Basin. Kaya’t kailangan talaga nating pag-isipan what are we going to do with the long-term because you cannot expect any changes,” President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. said when he ordered the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) to review the Bicol River Basin Development Program (BRBDP) as a flood control measure for the Bicol Region, prompted by heavy flooding caused by Severe Tropical Storm (STS) ‘Kristine’.

During a situation briefing in Naga City, President Marcos Jr. directed DPWH Secretary Manuel Bonoan to reevaluate the BRBDP, a project halted in 1986, emphasizing its potential to address recurring flooding in the Region.

The President noted that flood levels in Bicol were twice as high as during Typhoon Ondoy in 2009, attributing the extensive flooding to STS Kristine. He observed that the water is receding slowly during his aerial inspection of Southern Luzon amid the flooding.

“So, we have to revisit it now. Iba na ang conditions ngayon with the advent of climate change… Pero hindi kaya ‘yung ganito karaming tubig. Hindi talaga kaya kasi never naman – walang forecast na ganito. Ito climate change talaga ito. This is all new. So, we have to come up also with new solutions,” he emphasized.

Launched in the 1970s, the BRBDP was a geography-based development initiative for the Bicol Region primarily funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) with support from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the European Economic Community (EEC).

The Chief Executive highlighted the program’s advantages, addressing chronic flooding and constructing farm-to-market roads for agriculture. By the mid-1980s, improvements in road access led to increased mobility, reduced travel times and enhanced access to markets, medical services and education. He also gave his reassurance that flood control would be prioritized, stating that the unprecedented water levels were due to both weather and climate change.

In July 2023, the BRBDP was updated under a Philippines-Korea project that includes a feasibility study for flood control. Engineering design is expected by early next year, with civil works commencing by late 2025 or early 2026.

Concluding his visit, President Marcos Jr. gave PhP30 million to the City Government of Naga and PhP50 million to the Provincial Government of Albay to initiate the rehabilitation process.

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